Israeli settlers shoot two Palestinians in the West Bank, killing one

A Palestinian man was killed and another was wounded on Thursday when Israeli militant settlers launched an attack on the village of Yasuf in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian officials.The fatality comes amid a surge of violence across the territory, where Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 80 Palestinians in the West Bank since early 2026, UN figures show.In the latest incident, Jumaa Abdel Fattah, head of the Yasuf village council, said settlers shot dead Mashour Yassin, 51, during an attack on his home on the outskirts of the village.The assailants came from the direction of a settler outpost built near the village about two months ago, Fattah said."The settlers have been attacking the village continuously since the outpost was established," he added.Israeli settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 30, 2026 (REUTERS)The Israeli military said Palestinians had thrown stones at Israelis approaching the village, and forces dispersed those involved. It added that the Israeli military fired shots toward the Palestinians.It did not immediately clarify why Israeli settlers were encroaching on the village.Fattah said settlers shot the two Palestinians before the Israeli military arrived. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the timing.Rights groups say the increasing settler presence on the edge of villages forms part of a campaign to seize land and eat into territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state.Israel captured the West Bank in 1967 and the territory has since been under Israeli military occupation, with settlers emboldened by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has overseen a massive expansion of Jewish outposts.The UN and most countries regard Israeli settlements as illegal under international law governing military occupations. Israel disagrees with that interpretation and says the territory's status is disputed.